abbreviate vs abridge

abbreviate and abridge both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
abbreviate	No	No	Yes	No
abridge	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, abbreviate and abridge are synonyms defined as:

abbreviate and abridge: reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

Other synonyms of abbreviate include contract, cut, foreshorten, reduce, shorten.

abbreviate (verb)	abridge (verb)
shorten	reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
reduce in scope while retaining essential elements	lessen, diminish, or curtail